Georgia whitewater - Helton Creek, Blue Ridge Mountains, Union County

Union county, US 19 to Nottelly River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 
  The scenic beauty of Union County and the playfulness of the water attract people from near and far. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master in this state than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. This is a somewhat short section so you'll have to walk back to the start over and over. The put-in location is a short drive from Gainesville, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost.
    Great exercise and spending some quality time in nature have a lot of people coming here. The wild scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains is great. The campgrounds here at Helton Creek are pretty good. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance
then no problem and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. Helton Creek doesn't have a lot of paddling sections, the US 19 to Nottelly River section is the only one. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good rivers.

Briefly about the general area:
Going for a hike along the Coosa Backcountry Trail will let you absorb the natural beauty of this area, and you must check out Levelland Cove when you're here. Summertime brings highs in the 80's to Helton Creek with overnight lows in the 60's. Highs
 
during the winter are typically in the 40's while the cold winter nights at Helton Creek are in the 20's.
Life's too short to enjoy all the exciting stuff in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Since you're here at Helton Creek why not check out Nance Payne Cove, and Helton Creek Falls is a delightful place to pop by while you're at Helton Creek. All the water falling down from the sky makes Helton Creek a wet place; March is when you get the most rain here; October meanwhile is the driest month.
Coming to this river is always a good idea. Have a delightful hiking adventure along the DeSoto Falls Trail; a short tour to Nottely Falls is always worthwhile.

Helton Creek, US 19 to Nottelly River road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class:
Length: 3 miles
Average Gradient: 260 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.7537
Longitude: -83.92441

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.7612
Longitude: -83.87371

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Current weather conditions at Helton Creek, Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia
WXPort

Local climate location: MURPHY 19 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Milton Inn, Blairsville
8 miles away
At the Best Western Milton Inn, Southern hospitality and fresh mountain air will greet you upon your arrival. Blairsville is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is home of the ann...

Holiday Inn Express Blairsville, Georgia, Blairsville
8 miles away
The Holiday Inn Express Blairsville Hotel is nestled in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. We are located in downtown Blairsville and conveniently adjacent to Butternut Creek Golf Course which is ...

Country Inn And Suites By Carlson Helan, Helen
11 miles away
Hotel is located in the center of Helen, GA and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Located one mile from the golf courses and one block from the festhalle where Oktoberfest is held. H...



OTHER_INFO
  Blue Ridge Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Blue Ridge Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Blue Ridge Mountains.

All Georgia Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Georgia.
Books about whitewater paddling on Helton Creek, Georgia
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Helton Creek, Georgia.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Georgia

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Gainesville, Georgia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Gainesville, Georgia, the metro area neareast to Helton Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Helton Creek.
 Whitewater Near Helton Creek:
Frogtown Creek, Lumpkin County , 4 miles away, Class III-V(V+) - 2.9 miles long (US 19 to US 19 at Turners Corner)
Blood Mountain Creek, Lumpkin County , 5 miles away, Class III-V - 1 miles long (to Dicks Creek)
Dicks Creek, Lumpkin County , 5 miles away, Class IV - 2 miles long (Waters Creek Campground to Turners Corner)
Dicks Creek, Lumpkin County , 5 miles away, Class V - 0.75 miles long (WMA Gate to Waters Creek Campground)
Chestatee River, Lumpkin County , 8 miles away, Class II-III+ - 11.4 miles long (Turners Corner to Grindle Bridge)
Dodd Creek, White County , 8 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 3 miles long (Ravencliff Trail to GA 348)
Chattahoochee River, White/Habersham/Hall County , 9 miles away, Class II-IV - 7 miles long (USFS Road 44 to Robertson)
Chestatee River, Lumpkin County , 11 miles away, Class I-II(III) - 32 miles long (Coppermine to Lake Lanier)
Chestatee River, Lumpkin County , 12 miles away, Class III-IV - 2.1 miles long (Grindle Falls Road to Copper Mine)
Tesnatee Creek, White/Lumpkin County , 12 miles away, Class I-III - 3 miles long (County Road 5976 to Old Copper Mine Road)
 Ski Areas Near Helton Creek:
Sky Valley, Georgia , 39 miles away, 210 vertical feet
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 43 miles away, 225 vertical feet
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 59 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 72 miles away, 740 vertical feet
Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 118 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 161 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 162 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 163 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 174 miles away, 365 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Helton Creek:
Best Western Milton Inn, Blairsville , 8 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Blairsville, Georgia, Blairsville , 8 miles away
Country Inn And Suites By Carlson Helan, Helen , 11 miles away
Ramada Limited, Helen , 11 miles away
Econo Lodge Helen, Helen , 12 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Helton Creek:
Vogel State Park, Blairsville, 2 miles away
Chestatee Knoll Campground, Lumpkin County, 3 miles away
Nottely River Camp Ground, Blairsville, 4 miles away
 Trails Near Helton Creek:
DeSoto Falls Trail, Lumpkin County , 2 miles away
Coosa Backcountry Trail, Union County , 2 miles away
Chattahoochee Trail, Union County , 5 miles away
Whitly Gap Trail, White County , 5 miles away
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Union County , 5 miles away
 National Parks Near Helton Creek:
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Atlanta - GA , 53 miles away
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 60 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater